The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a constant time delay procedure to teach foundational swimming skills to three children with autism. The skills included flutter kick, front-crawl arm strokes, and head turns to the side. A multiple-probe design across behaviors and replicated across participants was used.…

Preschool teachers working in blended classrooms are faced with identifying which children need intensive instruction as well as being responsible for directly linking individualized learning outcomes with state or federal early learning standards. The series of studies presented were designed to illustrate how teachers working in blended…

Simultaneous prompting is a response-prompting procedure requiring two daily sessions: an instructional session in which a controlling prompt is provided on all trials, and a probe session in which no prompt is provided on any trials. In this study, two schedules of conducting the probe sessions (daily vs. every fourth day) were compared using the…

This article advocates for the need to link early childhood program quality and professional development, with a particular focus on how this topic relates to early childhood inclusion. There is consensus in the early childhood field about various components of program quality for young children in general, and a number of states now have program…

The engagement and interaction of 12 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were measured during free play in segregated and inclusive prior-to-school early childhood settings to compare the learning opportunities provided in each type of setting. Ratings of overall engagement and the frequency and quality of interaction were also compared…

This study examined a comprehensive modularized inclusion training program provided to 1,298 diverse early child care providers (center-based, family home, and license exempt settings) on providers' attitudes and perceived competence toward inclusion. Second, factors (number of trainings attended and provider characteristics) associated with…

Using narrative interviews underpinned by an ecocultural framework, this Australian study investigated the experiences of 39 mothers of children with disabilities and 27 staff members from the early childhood services which these children attended. The data highlight serious limitations of current government policy and provisions in Australia to…

Little research has been carried out on the inclusion of children with special needs in child care. The purpose of this study was to determine what variables predict the inclusion of children with disabilities in centers and home care. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of several indicators of quality child care and…

In the current investigation, the processes of functional assessment and function-based intervention were used to resolve the severe challenging behaviors of a boy with autism and mental retardation in an inclusive kindergarten in South Korea. A multicomponent intervention was developed in collaboration with classroom personnel and was implemented…

Providing appropriate programs for young children with disabilities is a priority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. The IDEIA requires that programs be provided in natural or least restrictive environments, and…

This study investigated the nature of kindergarten children's understanding about and attitudes toward disabilities. Interviews with 77 Canadian children enrolled in inclusive classrooms showed that kindergarten children (a) conceptualize disabilities chiefly according to physical appearances and (b) possess a fairly accurate understanding of some…

Researchers in 2 studies investigated the effectiveness of a general education/special education collaborative teaming process in increasing the engagement, development, and learning of preschoolers with severe disabilities who were placed in general education early childhood programs that operated under a team-teaching model. The process included…

This study focused on the practices used by specialists and early childhood education personnel that contributed to the successful inclusion of 7 young children with significant disabilities who were served in typical community settings, such as preschools and childcare centers. Analysis identified 4 elements common to each of the research sites:…

The effectiveness of a peer imitation intervention with three preschool children with autism and one with developmental delays was studied. Results indicated participants increased peer imitation behaviors in small group and free play settings. Increases were also seen in social behavior and in levels of nonsocial engagement. (Contains…

Two scenarios are presented involving a family's experience in accessing a quality inclusive education for their young child to illustrate what it might look like if all stakeholders assumed responsibility for implementing available research-based information to facilitate inclusive early childhood education. Roles of families, administrators,…